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2017 Budget: $75b investment in infrastructure

The 2017-18 Budget is delivering major investment into Australia’s air, road and rail infrastructure over the next 10 years. Roads & Civil Works provides a brief rundown of what’s included in the big spend.

The 2017-18 Budget is delivering major investment into Australia’s air, road and rail infrastructure over the next 10 years. Roads & Civil Works provides a brief rundown of what’s included in the big spend.The 2017-18 Budget is delivering major investment into Australia’s air, road and rail infrastructure over the next 10 years with approximately $75 billion allocate to infrastructure.

This investment comprises a wide range of major road and freight projects across each state and territory. However, according to a joint statement from Federal Minister for Urban Infrastructure Paul Fletcher and Federal Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Darren Chester, the “centrepiece” of the Budget is the delivery of a “once in a generation” $20 billion investment to upgrade the nation’s passenger and freight rail.

The Australian Government will invest $10 billion over the next decade for the National Rail Program, with an additional $30 million allocated to fund the development of a business case for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, and a further $500 million to build a better regional rail network for Victoria through improvements to a number of regional lines.

Approximately $8.4 billion in equity is being provided to deliver the Inland Rail project. The project will provide a high-capacity freight link between Melbourne and Brisbane, which will “strengthen our freight connections ensuring we are able to take advantage of emerging domestic and global markets” according to the statement, and remove thousands of trucks off the roads.

The Australian Government will deliver Inland Rail through the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) using a combination of Government equity and a Public Private Partnership for the Toowoomba to Kagaru tunnel section.

The Budget has also outlined a $1.6 billion investment towards a $2.3 billion road and rail infrastructure package in Western Australia. $1.2 billion of that package will go towards the METRONET and related projects, subject to positive assessment by Infrastructure Australia.

Of the $760 million committed for road infrastructure, the Armadale Road/North Lake Road (Kwinana Freeway) project will receive $189.6 million, and the Leach Highway (Carrington Street to Stirling Highway) project will receive $73.6 million.

The Australian Government will also provide $44.2 million towards regional road projects to improve regional road safety across Western Australia.

Queensland’s Bruce Highway continues to be a major focus for Federal Government, with $844 million in program savings enabling new projects to be agreed with the Queensland Government.

Construction will be accelerated on the Pine River to Caloundra, and Deception Bay Interchange sections as well as additional safety works, including the upgrade of the Wide Bay Highway intersection.

Road safety has also benefited in the Budget, with the Black Spot Program receiving another $684.5 million from 2013-14 to 2020-21.

The Roads to Recovery Program likewise is being maintained with $4.4 billion from 2013-14 to 2020-21 used for the construction, repair and upgrade of local roads.

The Government will also provide additional funding of $12 million over four years to independent infrastructure advisory board Infrastructure Australia to support its future work program.

Project highlights by State and Territory

New South Wales

  • Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan: $2.9 billion with $725 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Pacific Highway duplication: $5.6 billion with $710.1 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • WestConnex: $1.5 billion plus a concessional loan of $2.0 billion to enable the New M5 section to be constructed in parallel with the M4 extension, with a further $720 million of the loan to be made available in 2017–18.
  • Port Botany Rail Line Upgrade (Stage 3): $75 million with $20 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • NorthConnex: $412.3 million with $50 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • M1 Productivity Package: $195.8 million with $60 million to be provided in 2017–18.

Victoria

  • Tullamarine Freeway Widening (Section 1): $200 million with $112 million to be provided in 2017–18 to continue work on the 5.5 kilometres from Melrose Drive to the Melbourne Airport.
  • Western Highway—Ballarat to Stawell Duplication: $499.4 million with $77 million to be provided in 2017–18 to duplicate a further 12.4 kilometres from Buangor to Ararat.
  • Princes Highway East—Traralgon to Sale Duplication: $210 million with $31 million to be provided in 2017–18 to continue work west of Sale.
  • Princes Highway West—Winchelsea to Colac Duplication: $181.7 million with $46 million to be provided in 2017–18 to duplicate a further 9 kilometres from Warncoort to Colac East.
  • Monash Freeway Upgrade: $500 million
  • Completion of the M80 Ring Road Upgrade: $350 million, taking the total Australian Government funding to $500 million.
  • Murray Basin Rail: $220 million, taking the total Australian Government funding to $240 million.
  • Rural and Regional Roads Package: $345 million, including an additional $25 million to continue the upgrade of the Great Ocean Road
  • Urban Congestion Package: $85 million, including construction of the O’Herns Road Interchange.

Queensland

  • Bruce Highway: Australian Government is committing to provide funding of $6.7 billion with $552 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • M1 Pacific Motorway—Gateway Merge at Eight Mile Plains: $105.0 million with $34 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • M1 Pacific Motorway—Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes: $110.0 million with $20 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Ipswich Motorway—Rocklea to Darra: $200 million with $78.5 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Gateway Upgrade North: up to $914.2 million with $267.5 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Toowoomba Second Range Crossing: Up to $1.137 billion with $248 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Warrego Highway—Toowoomba to Miles: $508 million with $219 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Townsville Eastern Access Rail Corridor: $147 million with $38.7 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Cape York Region Package: $208.4 million with $54.3 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 2: $95 million with $31.6 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Northern Australia Roads Programme: up to $223.8 million for projects to be delivered in Queensland, with $37.3 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Northern Australia Beef Roads Programme: up to $56.9 million for projects to be delivered in Queensland, with $26 million to be provided in 2017–18.

Western Australia

  • Armadale Road/North Lake Road (Kwinana Freeway)—Constructing bridge and collector roads ($189.6 million)
  • Leach Highway (Carrington Street to Stirling Highway)—Upgrade to High Street ($73.6 million)
  • Murdoch Activity Centre Access Roads—($92.5 million)
  • Roe Highway (Kalamunda Road)—Constructing Grade Separated Intersection ($68.8 million)
  • Reid Highway (Altone Road to West Swan Road )—Constructing Dual Carriageway ($56 million)
  • Wanneroo Road (Ocean Reef Road)—Constructing Grade Separated Intersection (Additional $31.8 million, AG total $51.84 million)
  • NorthLink WA—Swan Valley Bypass: $648.4 million (including $623.1 million from 2013–14 to 2020–21) with $200 million in 2017–18.
  • NorthLink WA—Tonkin Highway Grade Separations: $185 million with $21.2 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Great Northern Highway (Muchea to Wubin): $275.8 million with $70.0 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Mitchell Freeway widening (southbound from Cedric Street to Vincent Street): $32.2 million with $3.2 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Northern Australia Roads Programme: up to $171.81 million for projects to be delivered in Western Australia, with $56.29 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Northern Australia Beef Roads Programme: up to $12.51 million for projects to be delivered in Western Australia, with $6.01 million to be provided in 2017–18.

South Australia

  • North-South Corridor—Darlington interchange: $496 million with $198.7 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • North-South Corridor—Torrens Road to River Torrens: $400.5 million with $105.0 million in 2017–18.
  • North-South Corridor—Northern Connector: $708 million with $233.8 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands: $85 million with $23.8 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Flinderslink: $42.7 million with $36.3 million to be provided in 2017–18.

Tasmania

  • Midland Highway: $400 million with $96.5 million to be provided in 2017–18. This will enable the completion of two projects and allow three further projects to commence construction in 2017–18, including the Perth Link Roads project that has been brought forward by two years.
  • Freight Rail Revitalisation: $59.8 million with $12.8 million to be provided in 2017–18.

Northern Territory

  • Northern Territory Roads Package: $77 million with $15.7million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • National Highway Upgrade Programme: up to $20 million with $11.4 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Regional Roads Productivity Package: $90 million with $15.1 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Northern Australia Roads Programme: up to $192.2 million for projects to be delivered in the Northern Territory, with $94.9 million to be provided in 2017–18.
  • Northern Australia Beef Roads Programme: up to $30.0 million for projects to be delivered in the Northern Territory, with $13.0 million to be provided in 2017–18.

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